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Okay, maybe your 11-year-old self was intense.
Looking back on it now you can’t help but cringe at your one-sided crush on Peter. You were confident you were going to marry that boy and were not quiet about it either.
You can’t blame past you too much though because he is smart and funny and just so, so cute… okay… maybe the crush still persists. But at least now you’re chill about it, less of a nervous preteen. Now you’re a nervous teen.
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The first time you meet him you’re 11 and he’s 16. Your dad offered to make him an avenger and Peter said no but sometimes he would come over to the compound when he needed to work on his suit.
That’s how you met. Him in the lab and you looking for your dad. The moment you saw him tinkering with the hologram of a Spider-Man suit, you freeze. That’s the cutest guy you’ve ever seen in real life. He can’t beat that one guy from Disney Channel you love– that you don’t remember the name of– but he’s close. The moment he turns towards you, your face heats up like a furnace.
“Um… hi” he says and comes out as more of a question than anything. “Are you allowed to be here?” he says a little quieter as if he’s trying not to get you in trouble.
You stare at him for another moment that feels entirely too long before speaking. “Have you seen my dad?”
“Your dad…?”
Before you could even begin to think about how to respond to that, a little too lost in this cute boy’s confused chocolatey eyes, your father waltzes into the lab.
“Kid, did you touch any of my prototypes last time you were here because I need you to never do that again.” he directs the words at Peter as he walks past you and ruffles your hair. “Hey, bug. Are you here to work on your science project?” he says to you in a significantly softer tone.
“Dad…” you groan, elongating the word, and try to fix your hair as best you can, your face heating up even more. “I wanted to ask you some things about the project actually. Didn’t need a hairstyle, thanks.”
“Sarcasm so early on a Saturday isn’t good for you, bug.” he replies.
“That wasn’t even sarcasm.” you mutter.
Peter looks between you two, eyes wide. Considering Tony Stark doesn’t hide anything about himself, it’s surprising, to say the least, that he managed to keep a whole child away from the public eye.
“Who are you, by the way?” you ask the cute guy in the room. You’re still bashful but you can’t help your curiosity.
Peter vaguely gestures to the spider suit behind him, a little too stunned that Tony Stark has a secret child to speak proper words.
“I mean obviously but I’m asking your real name- or are you always doing the secret identity? Promise I won’t tell anyone.” You raise your pinkie as if showing it would be enough to seal the promise.
“Peter Parker.” he says, and you think ‘It’s nice to know the name of my future husband.’
“You trust people too easily, kid.” your dad tells him. “She’s not good at keeping secrets.”
“You told everyone you’re Iron Man after 3 seconds.” you roll your eyes at your dad’s statement.
Your expression completely changes as your attention shifts to Peter again, giving him a shy little smile “Don’t listen to him. I can keep a secret.”
“Stop making heart eyes at my protege. Shoo.” your dad buds in, making your face burn once again, and Peter lets out an awkward little laugh.
“It’s not my fault he’s cute.” you say quickly as you all but run out of the lab, completely forgetting to ask the questions you were there for in the first place.
You’re already gone before you can see the amused expression on your father’s face, and the way Peter’s gets to a concerning shade of red. “If you break her heart, I’m sending every one of my suits against you.” Tony quips, just to stir the pot, and the shade somehow gets more concerning, accompanied by stuttering. “Mr. Stark, sir, I- that’s not…”
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Tony thought it was hilarious that his daughter has a crush on Peter. He was so relaxed about it because he knew it wouldn’t ever go anywhere. Peter was a teenager, and you were in middle school, the gap was too big for him to be worried plus he knew Peter had mentioned liking a girl at his school and you went through crushes like they were socks, so it was all harmless fun. Surely the universe would never be able to make this work.
Peter got so embarrassed every time you came to the lab when he was there because you, just like a true Stark, were not hiding your crush at all. One time he noticed you even doodled “Parker-Stark” on your notebook. He was flattered really but he saw you as a kid and he knew you’ll get over the crush eventually. He just wished that happens sooner rather than later so Tony stops teasing him about it. But he had a feeling the teasing wouldn’t stop even when your crush was gone.
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People always say that sometimes you get a feeling when something is about to go to shit, right before the disaster, like a built-in alarm in your body but you didn’t feel anything like that the day Thanos showed up.
You were in the middle of class when your classmates started disappearing. The first thing you did was try to call your father, but he never answered. Pepper said the last time she saw him, he was headed to space. You didn’t know if he was alive, or dead, or dusted away like so many others.
You didn’t leave your room for days, 22 to be exact. You remember wanting to cry so bad but not being able to. It’s like your emotions were too strong for your brain to handle so it left them on pause. It felt like a ticking time bomb, like waiting for a confirmation of your fears.
Peter was missing too. You hoped he was okay but considering there hadn’t been any Spider-man sightings in the city– you looked it up every day– you doubted he was. He would never abandon his city when so many people needed him. But nevertheless, you still hoped… you hoped you were wrong and he was okay.
You didn’t leave the room until, on the 22nd day, your dad finally came home. He looked the weakest you had ever seen him. You finally cried then, as soon as you saw him alive. He looked so fragile, so broken down on the inside and out, that you were scared to go near and touch him, let alone hug him, afraid of making it worse.
“I lost the kid” you hear him say, and you know exactly who he’s talking about. Suddenly you feel your first ever heartbreak and it’s worse than you ever expected. Your first crush was supposed to break your heart by rejecting you, not by disappearing into space and time forever.
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It’s been 5 years, and you still feel the absence. It’s small, you’ve put it in the back of your mind, but it’s there, stronger in the quiet moments. The ones where you don’t play with your baby sister or talk about mechanic engineering with your father, when you’re not in school or helping Pepper.
You don’t have friends really. You didn’t have many in middle school but you’re even more closed off now. You have people you talk to, but you don’t really let anyone closer than that. You’re not the only one that struggles like this. Some of your classmates feel the same fear of letting people close. What if they disappear again? You’re all grieving people that never really died, not in the true sense of the word. You feel like you can’t let yourself fully grieve because the hope that someday they might return is stopping you. Can hope be cruel? You ask yourself that a lot.
It’s also not easy that you go to the same high school that Peter did. You were reluctant, knowing it would just remind you of him, but it has the best STEM programs in the city. Every morning you try not to look at the commemoration sign for the disappeared at the entrance and every morning you fail. You go in, go to your classes and try not to look at it on the way home again. And fail… again.
So, when what’s left of the Avengers come knocking, asking your father for help with figuring out time travel, it’s the first time in a long time you feel that maybe hope isn’t cruel, maybe you were justified in feeling it for so many years.
But your dad says no.
You were not supposed to listen in but when would that ever stop you. You almost wish you didn’t listen though, because now you can’t sleep, so you head downstairs– maybe for a late-night snack or maybe not, you don’t know– but you stop descending the stairs when you see your dad is still awake too.
“I thought you said you won’t help them.” You speak up, sat on the stairs when he turns around at the sound of your voice.
“What are you doing here? It’s a school night. And you weren’t supposed to know what that conversation was about.”
You just tilt your head with a brow raised.
He sighs turning back to the projection in the middle of the room, rubbing his eyes, exasperated.
“I’m glad you’re trying.” you say quietly after a couple of moments.
“Don’t get your hopes up, bug, I don’t know if I can figure it out.”
“If anyone can figure out time travel, it’s probably you.” He just looks at you, expression a little softer, “I guess my hopes are already up.” You give him a sad little smile.
He sits next to you on the stairs. “I miss him too.”
The face you give him looks annoyed, but he can tell you’re forcing it a little. “I wasn’t even talking about him.”
“You haven’t talked about him in 5 years.”
“You haven’t either.” you sound defensive even to your own ears.
A sigh leaves you.
“He was just a guy I liked when I was 11. I didn’t even know him that well. I don’t miss him.” you’re mumbling, trying to sound convincing.
Your dad knows you’re lying, of course he does, but he doesn’t say anything else, waits for you to open up.
“I just, I think about him a lot maybe because… he was so young, I mean he was as old as I am now, right? All my classmates too, none of them deserved that. Why did I deserve to stay more than any of them?”
“Hey, none of that-” he starts but you interrupt him.
“I know.” You wave a hand dismissively, “My therapist calls it survivor’s guilt.” You put air quotes around the term. “I’m working on it… slowly.”
He stays silent but puts an arm around you and you lean your head on his shoulder.
“I’m trying to figure it out because I feel like I have to. I owe it to him.” He says after a few moments of silence.
He’s starting to get that miserable look on his face so you distract him with a “Wanna explain what you’re doing?” Work always distracts him from his anxious thoughts.
He launches into his explanation, and you listen intently, speaking up here and there, trying to understand better. At an hour that is entirely too late he figures it out.
You both simultaneously let out a stunned “Shit.” as he sits down, face painted in disbelief. And you hear a soft “Shit.” coming from your sister who definitely should not be awake.
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You see him with his friend– you think his name was Ned– for the first time again, and you get the sudden urge to run up and hug him because you’re so glad he’s here and well and alive… but you don’t. You don’t even know if he’ll recognize you. Plus, now you have a reputation to uphold, so you can’t be caught just showing feelings like that.
As you move past them on your way to class you simply say “Hey, Parker, glad you’re alive.” As smoothly as possible… you hope. He looks a little confused and then it hits him. It’s you. Wow, you look different. When did that happen? He feels like last week you were 11. He knew they had been gone 5 years but seeing you reminded him of that fact.
“Dude, who is that? Since when are girls voluntarily talking to you.” Ned whispers to Peter and a student nearby answers for him. “That’s Tony Starks’ daughter, dumbass. How do you not know that?”
“We literally just came back.” Ned argues back but the random guy frowns. “Me too, dude, but I’m not a loser.” the guy leaves and Ned notices that Peter is still staring in the direction you went in, completely baffled.
“So, you know her from before, but she was 11?” Ned says as they’re having lunch later that day, or more like throwing glances at you and trying not to get caught.
Peter nods and Ned continues “Would it be creepy to say she’s pretty?”
“Why would it be creepy? She’s our age now.” MJ says down the table, sat a bit further away from them as always. “What’s creepy is your constant staring.” she adds, not raising her head away from the book she’s reading even once.
Both boys lower their heads to look at their food immediately.
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“Does he need that many web combos?” you ask your dad as you help him fix Peter’s half-destroyed suit the same afternoon.
“He’ll decide that. That’s why he’s coming over.”
“Like right now? Why didn’t you tell me.” you’re trying to sound calm even as you’re freaking out a little.
“I thought you didn’t like him anymore.”
“I never said that. I mean, that doesn’t matter. I don’t like him. I don’t care that he’s gonna be here.” Very chill of you.
“Right.” he says, and you squint your eyes at him.
You’re about to reply when Peter walks through the door and stops the moment he sees you. “H-Hey.”
“Hi.” You reply and he just stands there awkwardly so you add “Do you need 583 web combinations?” which snaps him out of his stupor.
“No? Why would I need that many?” he finally moves closer to you both, distracted enough to relax.
“Okay, sue me for wanting to give you options, kid.” You dad complains, rolling his eyes.
You work on the suit for an hour, when your dad gets called to another part of the building by Banner. “You two can work on this. Don’t mess up my lab.”
The moment he leaves Peter starts giving off awkward energy again.
“I think we need to decrease the web options more. 168 is still too many. Maybe I need to keep the options small but the most useful, like 20 or-” he keeps rambling, so you interrupt him.
“Stop being weird, Parker.”
“I’m not being weird. Why would I be weird?”
“I’m still me if that’s what’s weirding you out… well, not exactly the same, I’m not, like… obsessed with you anymore. Sorry about that, by the way.” you cringe at the memory.
“No, I know that… all of that.” Sigh “Sorry for being so awkward. I’m just still not used to this. It feels like last week for me, but it’s been years. So much has changed… You know my favourite deli shop closed?”
Can your dad fund the shop so it can reopen? You think even though you just told him you’re not obsessed.
You settle for a simple “I’m sorry, Peter.”
He just shrugs “It’s fine, I just need some time to acclimate.”
“It’s weird for me too, I guess.” You say after a couple of silent moments, and he looks at you, waiting for you to keep talking. “I- We grieved. For 5 years. And now you’re all back and that’s amazing, obviously, but it also feels like I, uh… should feel fine now, like nothing ever happened, but it did. Those years won’t just disappear and that grief will always be a part of me now even if I don’t have a reason to feel it anymore.”
“Well, my problem feels a little silly in comparison now.” Peter says, which makes you laugh.
“It’s not a competition. I’m trying to say everyone is in the emotional dumpster right now. The deli is like the cherry on top of every fucked-up thing you feel and that’s why it stands out. But… you’re not alone in this.”
The awkwardness lessens after that. Peter relaxes, at least mostly.
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“Okay class, because the last couple of classes some of you could not stop talking, I’ll be reassigning lab partners.” Your chemistry teacher says and a choir of groans echoes around the room. He starts reading the new pairs off his notes and people start shuffling unenthusiastically around the room.
“MJ with Brad… and…” your ears perk up when you hear your name “…with Peter.” He claps his hands twice. “Let’s move it, guys. Come on.”
“Hey.” You say as you move to Peter’s lab table, replacing Ned. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a partner that actually understands chemistry.”
“I’m sorry about that…?” Peter replies which makes you giggle.
“Well, now I have you, right?” you smile at him, and his brain might be short circuiting.
“Yep, yeah, for sure. And I have you… as a partn- lab partner.”
“I thought we were past this.” you tease about his nervous demeaner.
“We were, we are, sorry.”
“Someone would think you’re proposing soon with how nervous you get around me.” Why would you say that, you idiot? It doesn’t even make sense. Is it too late to walk out of class now? You can say you’re feeling sick, it’s not like it would be a lie anyway. You are sick to your stomach suddenly.
He just laughs quietly but it sounds more like he’s in pain, and he’s sure his face is that concerning shade of red again.
You clear your throat and pick up the worksheet you’re supposed to be working on and start to discuss that instead.
The awkwardness lessens but never fully dissipates– that’s on you this time– although it doesn’t stop Peter from inviting you to have lunch with him and his friends at the end of class.
“I just noticed you don’t really eat with anyone else like ever, so,” He trails off, waiting for your answer now.
You hesitate. You talk to people, you talk to Peter, but you don’t really do friends. No school lunches or hang outs, no study groups or movie nights and sleepovers. You tell yourself it’s not for you, you’re good on your own, but deep down, you know you’re just scared. And you also know it’s time to stop being so afraid, so you agree. One lunch won’t hurt, it’s a step forward.
And for once you actually have a good time during lunch period. You even notice MJ sits closer to you all, when she sees you join the guys. What you don’t notice is Peter looking at you fondly every time you laugh. MJ, of course, sees it immediately.
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Peter does not like you. I mean he does. You’re great. But he doesn’t like you like that. He likes MJ… he’s pretty sure. He liked her before the blip, so he still does, for sure. He should just ask her out. That’s what he wanted- wants still. Definitely.
Although it doesn’t really help that you’re so…
“Hey, Parker. I have some ideas about your suit, so don’t forget to come by today.” you break him out of his reverie. Oh, yeah, he’s at lunch. Your group lunches have become a regular occurrence now.
“I won’t.”
“That’s what you said yesterday.”
“How was I supposed to know a giant lizard was gonna appear in Times Square.”
“All I hear are excuses.” you sigh dramatically.
“It’s a valid excuse.” Peter deadpans. “I’m not in a rush to update my suit.”
“Sure, but I also miss hanging with you outside of this sad beige place.” you say honestly, and Peter has a mini heart attack for a second. That’s what that feeling should be he thinks.
“It’s not that beige.” He says when he recovers. Should have said I miss it too. Shit.
“Sad beige is a state of mind sometimes, Peter.” you say as seriously as if you’re talking about the economic state of the world, which makes Peter smile.
“What’s a state of mind?” Ned asks as him and MJ sit down with you both.
“Sad beige.” you reply and Ned nods in serious understanding. “Why were you guys so late?” you add.
“Mrs. Davis kept us after the bell longer than usual.” MJ says, annoyance clear in her voice.
“The bell is the law.” Ned complains. “She’s a criminal.”
“The worst of them, Ned. She truly deserves life without parole.” You laugh and MJ’s eyes turn towards Peter fast enough to see him look at you as if you just gave a fairy her wings, which makes her smirk the tiniest bit. That boy is so gone.
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As he steps through the lab door, he sees you working on a suit, his next suit.
You turn as you hear the door “Finally, I thought you ditched me again.”
“I did not ditch you yesterday. I called… in the middle of a fight, by the way.”
“That’s still ditching. You have to make it up to me now.”
“I thought I was.” He says as he gestures to himself in the lab by outstretching his arms.
“Oh, but it’s not that simple.” You pretend to think for a second as if you hadn’t thought of it hours ago, “I get to do one thing for the design of the suit that you can’t say no to.” You say with a sickly sweet smile.
Peter sighs. “Is that fair?”
“I think so, yeah.” You nod to yourself.
“I don’t.”
“Doesn’t really matter what you think, Parker.”
“It’s my suit.” It almost sounds like a whine.
“Which I’ve been making, on my own, since you ditched.”
“Okay, fine.” He groans. “But please don’t put STARK on it like I’m a football player with a logo on my jersey.”
“I’m not making any promises.”
He shakes his head but can’t help smiling as he watches you work for a couple seconds before you continue with “So what do you think of keeping the spider legs, because you said sometimes they’re helpful, but we get rid of the metallic look? Love my dad but he turned you into Iron Junior with that suit and flashy is just not your vibe at all. We can still make the suit as protective as the metal one if we fuse the fabric with nanotech and add a bit of vibranium into the mix.”
“That sounds good actually.”
“Of course it does. It’s my idea.” You joke and wink and him, which might have made his heart beat a bit faster but that was probably the school lunch, consisting of greasy pizza. Heart disease is a big issue.
“How did you even get vibranium?”
“I have my source… and it may or may not be a fellow genius and crown princess of Wakanda but you didn’t hear it from me.” You grin at him and his heart speeds up, again. No more greasy food.
You look at each other like two lovesick puppies for a couple more long seconds, both your hearts speeding up, faces getting hotter by the second. It feels like someone is slowly constricting your chest, making it hard to breathe, which is not entirely pleasant. Huh… You used to feel floaty, pleasant butterflies when you looked at him back then. This moment you just had freaks both of you out for different reasons, so you quickly go back to burying your heads in the metaphorical sand called work.
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Peter’s room is mostly quiet until he says “I think I might ask MJ out.” as he’s doing homework with Ned.
Ned turns to him with a frown of deep confusion. “And why would you do that?”
“Because I like her?” That doesn’t sound very confident of him.
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do.” He says, almost sounding offended that Ned doesn’t believe his blatant lie.
“Peter, I know you better than you know yourself,“
“That’s just not true.” Peter interrupts.
“…and as your best friend I know for a fact you don’t like MJ.” Ned continues as if he didn’t hear the objection.
“How would you know?”
“Because it’s obvious.” Ned deadpans. “You’re not subtle when you have a crush.”
“Maybe I learned how to be.”
“You didn’t because you’re still not subtle when your actual crush is around.”
“My actual crush?” Peter’s heart dropped to his stomach.
“One word: Stark.” Ned says simply and Peter’s face gets a little pale. “See, not subtle.”
“I don’t have a crush on her. That would be crazy. I like MJ.”
“Whatever you say, Pete. I’m just saying I think it’s not right to ask her when you don’t like her. No matter how thick the fog of denial is.” Ned shakes his head but turns back to his homework, leaving Peter to stare at his notes pointlessly and overthink.
Did he have a crush on you? Is that possible? He does get nervous around you but that’s because he’s not used to you being his age. Even though it’s been months… and most people are used to the changes already. Peter’s used to the changes already. It’s just the you change, in particular, that throws him for a loop still. That’s not weird and it’s definitely not because he has a crush. Yeah, sure, you might have had a bizarre moment earlier today but that wasn’t anything, he was just feeling queasy from lunch. You guys have great friend chemistry– pun not intended– and he thinks you look cool while working on his suit, and he likes your laugh and the little snort you do sometimes but that’s all. Could you even imagine your dad’s reaction if Peter ever got a crush on you? Haha. Peter still remembers that threat.
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“Why are you still awake?” You hear your dad say behind you as you roam in the fridge, taking stuff out.
“I blame your insomniac genes.” You say, not even moving your eyes from the task at hand, “I’m reorganizing the fridge.”
“Something’s bothering you.” It’s not a question. He knows.
You let out a sigh, putting the bottle of juice you just picked up back on the counter, wondering how to formulate the sentences in your head as you start playing with the cap.
“You were right.” You mumble, reluctant to admit that to the smuggest person you know.
“I like to hear that, but you have to be more specific, sweetheart.” He says as he closes the fridge and leads you to a seat.
You sigh again, once seated. “I still have a crush on him.”
“Okay.” He elongates the word as he moves to sit next to you.
“But it’s different now. Back then it felt like rainbows and flowers and unicorns when he was around or when I thought of him, and now it just feels… kinda scary.”
“Fear of rejection is a normal thing at your age. Wasn’t for me but for everyone else it is.”
“No, dad. I’m… scared of letting people close. I’m scared of caring about people that deeply. I just got used to the idea that I have friends, that he’s my friend, and now this stupid crush is back. I mean what if everyone disappears again or worse…” You trail off but he knows, he gets that all-consuming fear of loss better than most.
“Bug,” you look at him “, no one is disappearing from your life any time soon. But even when that happens, far in the future, you can’t let that fear stop you from being happy, right now.”
“How?”
“We all have a limited time here, so, why would you not spend every day surrounded with people you love. If you only spend it with people who suck that would just be depressing, don’t you think?” that finally makes you smile a bit “The temporary pain of loss is worth it for the lifetime of happy memories.”
“Who said that?”
“Me, just now. Even I surprise myself sometimes.”
You scoff but your smile still grows. He kisses the top of your head. “If you start dating I’m gonna kill him.”
“Oh my- You could never kill Peter. Besides, he doesn’t even like me like that, so you have nothing to worry about. I’ll get over it again.”
He hums “Sure.” Scepticism is dripping from his voice but before you can say anything he’s heading out of the kitchen. “Throw everything back in the fridge and go to bed before I trank you. You have school.”
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“You’re asking me out?” MJ says, no discernible emotion in her voice or face.
“Yes?” Peter replies.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Peter wonders, mostly to himself.
“There’s no way you’re that stupid, dude.” MJ says and resumes her walk home after Peter stopped her as they left school for the day.
“What? Wait.“ He catches up to her again. “I’m not stupid. Why am I stupid?”
“You very clearly like someone else. You have heart eyes every time you look at her. So why are you asking me out? What sick power play is this?” She squints her eyes at him suspiciously.
“It’s not a power play. I liked you- like you.”
“Uh-huh.” She stops and turns towards him. “Also, no offense, but you’re not really my type.”
“Oh…” Peter lets out. He thought he would feel something if MJ rejected him but the only thing he can feel is a small sense of relief. Weird.
“Yeah.”
Peter sighs. “For what it’s worth, I did actually like you before we all got dusted.”
“It’s good that you got over it. Would have rejected you anyway.” MJ says. “Asking me out when you don’t like me is a dick move though.”
“I know. I’m so sorry. Ned said the same thing. Should have listened to him.”
MJ looks at Peter’s sad self for a second longer and rolls her eyes a bit. Feelings and people are not her thing, but strangely she cares about these 3 dorks she calls friends. “Listen, I know you’re scared and confused or whatever, and that’s why you tried to gaslight yourself into liking me, but I’m like 94% sure that Stark likes you too. So, you should go ask the right person out.”
“You really think she likes me?”
“Dude, she looks at you the same way you look at her, like you’re her favourite star in our entire universe.”
“I don’t know…”
“Oh my god, stop second guessing yourself. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to date her. You like her, she likes you, you’re making it more complicated than it needs to be. I know the whole dusted, undusted, time skip thing is messing with your head but it’s truly not that deep, and I say that very rarely, so you know I really mean it.”
MJ could tell she broke through to him, but she was tired of your mutual pining, therefore a plan was born. Her and Ned are making sure you get together.
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The four of you decided to go see a movie that weekend, it had been too long and you all need a break from studying for the upcoming finals. Happy drops you off in front of the theatre and you spot Peter already waiting at the entrance.
“Hey, are the others not here yet or did they ditch you to buy snacks like last time?” You say as you approach him.
“Not here yet.”
“That’s weird. The movie’s starting soon. I’ll text MJ.” You shoot her a quick text saying you’re waiting with Peter, and she replies, almost too quickly.
Meanwhile Peter has the same experience texting Ned.
“She has a cold, can’t make it.” You inform him.
“Ned has a stomach bug, apparently.” He replies.
You sigh. “They really ditched us like that?” This whole situation smells very fishy to you.
“Yep.” There’s a pause. “So, do you still wanna see the movie?” Peter is almost certain Ned and MJ are pushing him headfirst into confessing tonight. We’ll have a very stern conversation about this on Monday.
“Yes, obviously, I’ve been so excited about it.”
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“I tried asking MJ out the other day.” Trying to sound as casual as possible when he takes a walk with you after the movie.
“Oh.” Is all you reply with, hopefully hiding the hurt in your voice.
“Yeah. She immediately rejected me.” He adds and you finally look at him.
“I’m sorry, Pete.” You do feel bad for him but maybe not as bad as you should, which makes you feel guilty.
“It’s okay. I didn’t really like her in the first place.” He says and you frown.
“Huh?” Okay, maybe you don’t feel that guilty anymore.
“She said– and I quote, roughly– I tried to gaslight myself into liking her because I’m scared and confused.”
The quote makes you giggle. “Why are you scared and confused?”
“You’re not even gonna question if it’s true?”
“MJ is never wrong.” You shrug like it’s obvious.
“Okay, fair.”
“So?” You prompt him to continue.
Peter sighs and braces himself, starts explaining slowly as you patiently listen. “Because I like someone else and I was scared and confused about that. I guess, it was easier for me to pretend I liked her because there’s no complicated feelings there and I wasn’t really scared of those feelings or of a rejection.”
Shit. Now he likes someone else? This is a roller coaster, a very nauseating one. You think as you continue to listen silently.
“But she told me that she’s pretty sure the girl I like feels the same, so I should tell her how I feel.”
“As I said, MJ is never wrong. You should listen to her.” You say, hoping there’s no detectable bitterness in your voice.
“She also said something like… we look at each other like we’re each other’s favourite stars in the universe. She didn’t say it but I’m pretty sure she thinks that’s really gross.” He lets out a tiny laugh, and you smile, looking at him again.
Fuck. Why is your crush on him still here when you knew he would always like someone else. You should know by now he doesn’t see you like that. You’re supposed to be getting over it. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stu-
“So… not considering tonight a date because neither of us knew it would happen that way… do you wanna officially go out with me or is MJ wrong for once?” he asks, covering his nerves with the joke.
You stop in your tracks which makes him stop a few paces after and look back at you.
What did he just say to you? To you? You’re the girl? You’re the girl he likes? Wait, what? Oh, you’re still not saying anything and staring. You should say something. He’s looking at you with a slowly disappearing smile. Say something NOW!
“No. I mean, yes.” You say a bit too loudly and quickly and his eyes widen a bit. “I mean, no, MJ isn’t wrong, even though that would be satisfying to see at least once, but not about this, and yes, I’ll go out with you.”
“Yeah?” he asks, smile returning while you nod with a smile of your own.
“Both her and Ned will be so smug about this.” He says after a couple of moments.
“Oh, no doubt.” you reply and then it finally hits you “This is why they couldn’t make it to the movie tonight, isn’t it?”
“Most likely, yeah.”
“They think they’re the best matchmakers to ever matchmake.” You roll your eyes, fondly.
“In their defence, it worked.” He points out and you both laugh quietly.
------------------------------------------
He stands, back towards you, new suit on, staring at himself in the glass wall of the lab.
“I thought your undisputable design feature would be way worse honestly.”
“You really have that little faith in my taste, Spidey? That’s just hurtful coming from someone who called me to ask what he should wear on our first date.”
“Okay, come on, I was nervous because you always look so nice, and I didn’t wanna look like you picked me up at the lost and found.”
“Pete, it’s okay, it was cute that you asked.” You put your arms around his shoulders, from behind, looking at him through the reflection in the glass. “My design is cute.”
“It is… but do you think it’s too noticeable?”
“No. The whole point is that you have to be really close to see it.” You say as he turns, your arms now around his neck, his hands landing on your waist. You take a good look at your design on his mask, barely noticeable kiss stamps all over it, essentially blending in with the red of the suit, a few steps back and you wouldn’t be able to tell they’re even there. “If I was a bit more evil, I would have done them in bright pink.” You tease.
“That would be evil.” He says and the nanotech moves off his face at his will. “Should I return the favour?”
“What?” Before the question is fully out of your mouth, he starts peppering kisses all over your face as you start laughing.
The kisses slow down, he kisses your forehead, cheeks, nose and finally the most gentle kiss your lips. When you pull away from it, you both have the cheesiest grins.
You must stay like that for some time because you hear the door to the lab open and your dad’s voice say, “I’m getting the spray bottle.” As he walks right back out.